The CAV virus that has not been classified so far causes infectious anemia in chicken. The virus was first isolated in Japan in 1979 and was given its name because of the serious anemia caused by it in young chicks (Yuasa, et al., (1979) Avian Diseases 23:366-385). The other symptoms of CAV infection are the atrophy of the bone marrow and destruction of lymphocytes in the thymus. Lesions occur in the spleen and liver.
Day-old chicks are most susceptible. In these animals lethargy, anorexia and a passing anemia are observed from 4 to 7 days after inoculation with CAV and about half of the animals die between 2 and 3 weeks after infection. With increasing age the natural resistance also increases. Upon infection at the age of seven days the chicks only develop a passing anemia after infection, and upon infection of 14 days old animals no anemia follows.
Protection against CAV infection and CAV disease symptoms is highly based on humoral immunological defense mechanisms. Vielitz, (1989) Poultry Science 68:34-35 developed a practical, rather effective method of prevention by means of a "controlled exposure" with CAV-infected liver suspensions in laying hens, the offspring thus acquiring maternal immunity. In Germany this method of immunization is used in practice, but it does not seem to be quite risk-free.
Animal experiments conducted in isolated poultry houses with the Centraal Diergeneeskundig lnstituut (CDI) at Lelystad have confirmed the protective value of maternal antibodies. Here the "controlled exposure" was carried out with CAV multiplied in tissue culture. The presence of maternal antibodies against CAV fully prevented the CAV replication upon infection of day-old chicks from thus vaccinated mother animals. The CAV symptoms did not occur either. This passive protection was also obtained in offspring of immunized laying hens and also after injection of specifically pathogen-free (SPF) chicks with yolk extracts of eggs of the same immunized laying hens. The passive protection with respect to CAV infection by means of administration of CAV antibodies lasted until the age of 4 weeks. Then the passive protection was found to be incomplete. These experiments showed that maternal antibodies produced by vaccination of mother animals will play an important preventive role in the practical situation.
It also has been demonstrated by way of experiment that in chicks that survive the CAV infection a transient depletion of a specific population of thymus lymphocytes occurs (Jeurissen et al., (1989) Thymus 14:115-123). The thymus atrophy is the possible cause of the immunodepression causing CAV, with the result that specific vaccinations are less effective, e.g. against Newcastle Disease. CAV has been isolated several times in flocks with increased losses owing to Marek's disease, Gumboro's disease (Infectious Bursal Disease Virus, IBDV; Yuasa et al., (1980) Avian Diseases 24:202-209) and in animals with Blue Wing Disease in association with reoviruses (Engstrom, (1988) Avian Pathology 17:23-32; Engstrom et al., (1988) Avian Pathology 17:33-50). With experimental double infections the enhancing properties of CAV with respect to other chicken viruses (e.g. Marek's Disease Virus, MDV, De Boer et al., (1989) Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Western Poultry Disease Conference, Tempe, Ariz., p. 28) have been demonstrated. Recently a sharply increased inoculation reaction was observed in our own experiments after aerosol vaccination with Newcastle Disease vaccine and simultaneous CAV infection. CAV therefore leads to immunosuppressive and enhancing effects on other virus infections. These properties of CAV probably cause an increased incidence of virulent disease outbreaks in practice.
CAV seems to be spread all over the world. A considerable time after the CAV research had started in Japan the first CAV isolations were conducted in Europe, namely in Germany by Von Bulow ((1983) Zentralbatt fur Veterinarmedizin B 30:742-750) and later by McNulty et al., ((1990) Avian Pathology 9:67-73) in the United Kingdom. In the Netherlands, the first isolations of CAV from material from the USA, Israel and Tunesia were conducted by De Boer et al, ((1988) Proceedings First International Poultry and Poultry Diseases Symposium, Manisa, Turkey pp. 38-48). The available literature data indicate that the isolates belong to one serotype but several field isolates are to be tested for their mutual relationship and possible differences in pathogenicity (McNulty et al., (1990) Avian Pathology 9:67-73). The spread of CAV within a flock probably occurs by infection via feces and air. Vertical transmission of virus to the offspring, however, also plays an important role in CAV epidemiology. In various countries the presence of CAV was demonstrated serologically.
Under tissue culture conditions CAV is hard to multiply. CAV hitherto causes only a cytopathologic effect (CPE) in MDV transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines from lymphomas of Marek's disease (MDCC-MSB1 cells) or Avian Leukaemia Virus (ALV) transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines from lymphoid leukosis (1104-X5 cells; Yuasa, (1983) National Institute of Animal Health Quanerly 23:13-20).